Optical sign



. \E. HONI'G.

OPTI CAL SIGN. APPLICATION FILED on. 17, 1914.

1,349,277. Patented Aug. 10,1920.

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rename Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented na to, teen.

Application filed. Uctober 17, 1914:. Serial Nm' 867,244.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EDGAR ing dorf-Berlin, t'ain new and useful Improvement cal Signs, of which the following isa specification. V L

My invention relates to an improved optical sign principally destined for the use of pilots of aeroplanes and -ior 'aeronauts in Home, resid- Germany, '=-have invented cer he object fording to the pilot or sailor simpleand positive means of orientation while floating or atsea while approachnot only so performance generally known 0 be obtained i prefer to erect tvvo, or

by a beacon or 'lightrhouse' o other "optical I kind, zblliliit" isle speeially: destined to enable the pilot o'r', sailor '(here-. j

the 1 observer) 7 to determine I signof a known inaiter termed the distance a" d' the altitude of' the position occupied by him in space.' Y

The new system of my improved optical sign consists in ofiering to-the eye of the observer not a single object to rest upon, as does a beacon, light-house or other optical sign, but to provide a double or multiple object of observation, the said' two or multiple objects beingfarranged in a distinct order withv relation to each other, the dimensions of the said objects and their reciprocal order of position being well known to those who wish to, profit and make use of a the said signal.

In carrying my invention into practice, I in some cases three or even more signals of a regular shape,

such-for instance, as geometrical figures, cirtrically or co-axially above or behind each other or severa cles, squares, triangles, polygons and the like, the twoor more'signs or signals of a set being, preferably, of difleient size and color and placed in a toeach other,

in the same plane inside each other,

the difier'ence in size of the two signs being so calculated, that even the remotest maybe clearly other. Different colors of the two or sea eral figures may beemployed to facilitate at No. 16 Hantenerstrasse, Wilmersin Opti-' "is in face of and navigators and similar purposes.

of this invention consists inaf H llght'house o -v llersingle. optical sign, h

squares, as shown in distinct 'local relation such for instance, as 'concenfroni distance the separate figuresdistinguished from eachsition indicated by c in ;et I

It will be understood, that the observer,

on perceiving from any distant position, the

two or more signals placed at an elevated v station in a predetermined local arran ement with-relation, to each other, will be a le to perceive at a'iglanc'e, whether the positron momentarily occupied by.. liim in space signal figures. i 1

A pilot or-sailor finding himself opposite a only one line ,ot sight to calculatehis actual "position vwith -lrelation, to the station 00- cupiedby said n; the single line does 7 not enablefliim to etermine either his exact at.;the same level with the 5 'angular 'position to, or his elevation above,

'fiorhis distance from the sign. vThe use of .;;a set of two or several signs erected in a. .known determined order with relation to 35 each other gives-the means to at any moment decide not only the angular position but alsothe altitude and distance. of. the observer with relation to the saidsi gns. To make my invention properly understood, I have illustrated the same in accompanyingi. drawings, in whichigurelis adiagrammatical side-elevation of a set of two optical signs, in a'pposition to varying positions of the observer,

supposing.,the same to be carriedby an aeroplane. Figs. 2 to 13 illustrate various kinds of si' ns as viewed from different points.

eferring to Fig. 1, a, and b, designate two optical signs of different size, the said signs, seen in side-elevation. I prefer to employ signsof a regular geometrical figure, suchas circles,

as shown in Fig. 2, or Fig. 5, or triangles, as shown in Fig. 8, or hexagons, as shown in Fig. 11.

The outlines ofsaid geometrical figures a, 'andb, two of which in general, w1ll be found'sufiicient to form a set, may conveniently' be formed as a frame ofcircular or angular shape, colored in a manner to be distinguished from a distance.

Supposing that the observer takes the 0- Fig. 1, in face an at theflevjel of the two circlesa and b, which are placed behind each other at a predetermined known distance, the said circles w and I), apparently, will be seen as two 0011- centrical circles, as shown in Fig. 2. Any deviation of the observer from the'axis, ;of

the two circles will shift the inner circle to 5, the right or leftof the outer circle in the eye of the observer. Any change of eleva tion of the position of the observer will shift the innerclrcle Within the outer'circle in'the vertical direction and, besides, will change the shape ofthe circleinto that'et an ellipse,

in the eye of the spectator.

d indicates another supposed the observer at a certain altitude above the axial line of the two circles a and b, and at I a deviation of the right side of said axial line; apparently, the two circles will be seen as ellipses, displaced and cutting each other as shown in Fig. 3, the amount of displacement being proportionate to the angle of deviation from the axis of the signs a, b,

position of p A third position 6 of the observer has been shown in Fig. 1, the position being supposed to be in about a vertical plane above the axis of the two signs a, b, and at a small distance in advance of the said signs. The signs, from this position, will be seen as shown in Fig, 4;, the two ellipses appearing separated and behind each other.

a predetermined size,'the said signs being advance en ablingi the'. observer to read almost instantaneously the altitude, distance andregular lposition' with relation to the stationary optical signsLffA complete ori--' entation is therebyobtained.

I claim as, my invention:

An optical sign comprising a set of sta-' tionary signs, each sign I representing an open-worked regular geometrical figure of erected behind each other a permanent predetermined position with relation to, each other. I v

In testimony whereof I afix my signature ,50 in presence of two Witnesses.

EDGAR HUNIG.

itnesses WOLDEMAR HAUJET,

HENRY HASPER. 

